Embolization in the treatment of acquired and congenital abnormalities of the heart and thorax.

Embolization is well suited to the treatment of a range of vascular abnormalities found only in the thorax. This includes congenital arteriovenous fistulas or malformations affecting the chest wall and the pulmonary and coronary arteries. Acquired bronchial artery anomalies and some types of congenital heart disease are also suitable for embolization. Embolization in the thorax presents problems related to the need to work through or in the heart or to the risk to important branches of the intrathoracic aorta, such as the carotid arteries. The choice and use of different catheters and embolic materials for thoracic embolization depend on the nature and configuration of the lesion and the experience of the operator. Selection must also be based on consideration of the risk of inadvertent embolization of adjacent structures such as the spinal arteries. With embolization experience elsewhere in the body and an understanding of the particular problems presented by thoracic embolization, various important, even if uncommon, conditions can be effectively treated.